“If you say, ‘I can make it one more stop,’ next thing you know there is a mess,” he said.

Adkins drinks coffee to help keep him alert.

Roger Suarez drives a semi truck for a living. He said it’s up to each driver to keep everyone on the roads safe.

“Sometimes the freight has to be there at a certain time and you push yourself to get there and that’s when accidents happen,” he explained.

Truck drivers can only spend 11 hours per day driving. And before they reach eight hours on the road, regulations require them to take a 30-minute break.

Troopers said deaths caused by drowsy drivers are avoidable.

Drivers shared a whole list of tips to stay alert: travel with a buddy, or a dog. Stop frequently to stretch, or take a short nap.

“I get coffee, listen to music, I do a lot of things,” Ruth Bernstein said. “There is not a one thing because I feel like one thing generally isn’t enough.”

Troopers gave Ross, the driver who crashed Wednesday morning, a ticket for careless driving. NewsChannel 5 found the 22-year-old has three previous citations; including one this year for operating a motor vehicle in unsafe condition.